Time After Time
by MizScarlet
Summary: When you live forever, losing the ones you love is inevitable. Or is it? Warning: Later chapters will not be in any sort of chronological order.
1. A New Beginning

Summary: When you live forever, losing the one's you love is inevitable. Or is it?

A/N: This story happens at an unspecified time, so no spoilers, really**. **

**Time After Time**

When Ianto Jones finally passed on, he found himself surrounded by bright light instead of the darkness he expected. It was almost blinding, and all he could see was a figure of indeterminate gender dressed in white. The being addressed him right away. "You must move on now."

"Move on?" Ianto responded. "Move on where? Where am I?"

"You're between" was the answer. "You must move on to your next life."

"So I'll be born again. That explains why Jack has never been here."

"One day he will be, but not for a long time", said the white being. "Nothing lives forever, not even the universe and not even Jack. But to him it will still feel like an eternity."

"Will I get to see him again? Will I ever be with him again?"

The being laughed. "But you're with him every time. Every great love in his life, every one who's death he thought he could never bear, they've all been you. Even before his immortality, when he was part of the cycle of death and rebirth, you were always together. You just don't remember those lives."

"Does Jack know this?"

"No, he falls in love with you every time, but he doesn't realize that it's really the same soul he's falling in love with."

"But that's so cruel!" Ianto sputters. "You mean he has to keep losing me over and over again and never know that I'll come back to him? Why is he being punished like this?"

"He's not being punished", says the being. "But it is a heavy burden that he bears. Humanity needs him like this. He still has so much to do, and no one else has the strength to live this kind of life or has his capacity for hope and forgiveness. Any other person would go insane or want more and more power and control over everyone. Jack has stayed sane and devoted his life to protecting humanity, often without acknowledgement or thanks. No one could replace him. One day he will be able to rest, and then you will be reborn together, but that is a long way off."

"But he's so alone", Ianto murmurs. "Can I see him before I go on? Can I tell him? I don't want him to grieve for me when I'm coming back to him."

"You can see him, and you can try to tell him. But he won't hear you if he's awake, and it will seem as a dream to him if he's asleep."

"I'll take my chances. I have to at least try to comfort him. He deserves at least that much."

"So be it."

In an instant, Ianto found himself at Jack's bedside. He took a few moments to watch him sleep, as he used to do. But this time there were no smiles, just the stain of tears on his cheeks. Ianto leaned over and started to whisper in his ear, hoping that Jack would hear him and remember.

"Don't cry for me, Jack. I'm not gone. It's just going to take a while for me to come back to you. I've always been there Jack. My name and face kept changing, but it was always me. It always has been and always will be, from the beginning of time until the end of everything. I'll always be with you. I have to go now, but I'm coming back. I promise I'll find you as soon as I can. Just hold on and don't give up." With that, Ianto disappeared, and Jack stirred in his sleep, but there were no more tears.

Twenty-three years later, Jack is walking down the street when his eye is caught by a young man who is staring at him and smiling. Jack is sure he has never seen him before, but something about him seems achingly familiar. The young man approaches him and introduces himself. "I'm Ioan, and you're the infamous Jack Harkness."

"How do you know who I am?" Jack replies.

"Oh please. Everyone knows who you are. You're not exactly a subtle person. Besides, I've been watching you for a while now. I thought you would have noticed by now."

Without knowing why he's saying it, Jack finds himself telling Ioan "If you're looking for a job in Torchwood, there isn't one for you. And stop following me or I'll wipe your memory."

"I'm not interested in Torchwood, I'm interested in you." Ioan grinned. "I'll go for now, if that's what you want. But I must warn you, I'm very patient and very persistent." As he was leaving, he tossed one last comment over his shoulder. "By the way", he said with a smirk, "love the coat." Jack shivered and stared as the young man walk away.

Months later, Jack has finally given in. He's been happy with Ioan, but one night, as he watches him sleep, Jack feels guilty for his happiness. He promised Ianto he would never forget him and promised himself he would never love anyone else that much, yet here he is feeling like he's falling in love all over again. What kind of person does that make him? "What am I doing?" he says to himself.

Ioan stirs in his sleep, eyes barely open, and murmurs "Love you Jack."

Jack answers back, though he's sure Ioan can't hear him. "You hardly know me, and you're too young to know what love really is."

Ioan continues to mumble in his sleep. "I told you I'd come back, Jack. I told you I'd find you as soon as I could."

Jack is stunned. But that was just a dream, wasn't it? It was just something his mind made up to help him deal with the grief. Somehow though, he knows it's all true. All the loves of his life were really just one, and he was here with him once again. It was a gift that seemed to lighten the burden of the long years ahead of him.

Ioan smiled in his sleep as Jack wrapped his arms around him. He was right where he belonged.

**If you're interested in writing about Ianto's other lives feel free, but I'd appreciate it if you'd let me know first and reference the original story.**


	2. It Takes Two

**It Takes Two**

Evan stood in front of the school staring at it with dread. He hated going to a new school, and with Dad's job it happened far too often. Each time it was a new school, new uniform, new teachers, new everything. Dad promised this would be the last move, but who knew?

Evan was still trying to get his bearings when he noticed a tall girl with brown hair staring at him. She was with a large group of friends and seemed to be the center of attention. _Well, I guess I just found this school's Queen Bee_, he thought to himself. The bell rang, and Evan had to pass the group to get inside. He expected to be teased, or least some comments behind his back, but Her Royal Highness herself just smiled at him and gave a little wave. He also could have sworn he heard her loudly whisper "Yum" to one of her friends. Okay, this was definitely weird, but already a better first day than some he'd had.

After the obligatory trip to the office to present himself and receive his class schedule and some general directions, Evan found himself in his first class of the day. The teacher told him to take any available seat, but when he sat down he found himself next to a boy who looked an awful like the girl he'd seen earlier. He had the same eyes, the same smile… _Oh God is he smiling at me? He must be her brother; they look so much alike_, Evan thought, blushing. _He can't be serious. He's gorgeous, and I'm just… me._ Luckily, the start of class provided a distraction, but he still felt the boy's eyes on him the whole time. Evan definitely wasn't concentrating on the lesson.

"Hey there, Gorgeous." Evan didn't have time to think before an arm linked with his as he walked down the hallway and he turned to look into the blue eyes of the Queen Bee herself. "I'm sorry I didn't introduce myself earlier, I'm Alexandra. What's your name, New Boy?"

"I'm Evan," he stammered. Was this really happening? Was this some kind of trick or joke? She seemed to be sincere, but she was so beautiful he must be imagining the look she was giving him.

"Hello Evan, it's nice to meet you. Welcome to the neighborhood. We're glad to have you." Did that sound as lascivious as he thought it did, or were teenage hormones making his brain turn everything into sexual innuendo? Was she rubbing his arm? "I've got to run," she said as she let him go. "I need to change before class." Change? What was she talking about? Evan felt like he was missing something. "By the way," she said over her shoulder "I've got to say, I didn't think anyone could make the school uniform look that good. Later!" She left Evan breathless and confused.

At lunch, Evan saw the boy he started thinking of as the King Bee again. Like his queenly counterpart, he always seemed surrounded by friends. It was a complete shock when the boy actually approached Evan and introduced himself. "I'm Alexander," he said as he put his arm around Evan's waist. For some reason, this announcement made his entourage giggle.

"I'm Evan." He was already lost in Alexander's eyes.

"Yeah, I know." There were more giggles and laughter, but Evan couldn't see what was so funny. It was hard to think straight with Alexander looking into his eyes and touching him. And just where was his hand going?

"Did your sister tell you about me?" Evan asked when he could think again. God, even their voices were similar, though Alexander's was much deeper. Is it possible to be that attracted to two people at exactly the same time? Evan was overwhelmed.

"Nope. I don't have a sister. I'm an only child," Alexander said with a grin then kissed Evan driving all coherent thoughts from his head once more. Afterwards, Evan was confused. With all his moving from place to place, he'd never met one person like this let alone two. They can't possibly be that much alike and not be related. He would have asked about it, but lunch was over and he had to get to his next class.

As it turned out, Alexandra was in Evan's next class, though she arrived late and out of breath. "Miss Harris," the teacher called as she walked in, "Would you care to explain your late arrival?"

Taking her seat Alexandra replied "I believe there was a meeting with the principal where I was informed that I needed to wear gender-appropriate clothing at all times. I was just getting changed."

"Perhaps if you stuck to one gender for the entire day you would get to class on time."

"Yes Ma'am. I'll remember that." Suddenly, everything clicked for Evan, as Alexandra grinned and winked at him. He walked out with her after class.

"You can change your gender."

"Yup, that's what you get when you have a hermaphroditic shapeshifter somewhere in your family tree. Alexander's my real name. I should have had something more gender neutral, but out here in the boonies they don't test newborns for that sort of thing. No one realized what I was until I started changing at about 3 or 4 years old. I'll answer to either Alexander or Alexandra, but you can just call me Alex. Most people find it's easier that way", she said.

"Why didn't you just tell me all that in the first place?"

"Now where's the fun in that?" There was that grin again. "Come on," she said as she put her arm around Evan's waist. "Let me show you around." And there was that look in her eye.

"So, you're the most popular girl and the most popular boy in school?" Evan asked.

"Yeah, and I'm all yours," she said as she kissed him then pulled him down the hallway. "We've got a little time before our next class. Come on, you can help me get changed." Oh yeah, Evan was definitely going to like this place.

**A/N: Just for clarity, Evan is this chapter's incarnation of Ianto and Alex is Jack. Someone who doesn't believe in categories and "little boxes" shouldn't be restricted to just one gender.**


	3. Jack Ponders

**Jack Ponders**

It had been years, more than he cared to consider, since Jack had found out that that Ianto wasn't truly lost to him. His soul, reborn over and over again throughout time would always return to him. Jack took great comfort in this, no matter how long it took for them to find each other again. He got quite good at spotting Ianto's new incarnations. There were differences, of course, in looks, names, and even gender, but he always knew it was him. He could never feel that way about anyone else.

Jack sometimes wondered who else in his long life had been reborn and come back to him. Was this what happened to everyone but him? Sometimes, he thought he may have found Stephen's new self, but he could never be sure. He hoped so, the boy had such a short life and he deserved so much more. Other times, Jack thought he saw Tosh and Owen, or some other long lost Torchwood member. He tended to discourage them from joining up again.

Then Jack's thoughts turned to his past. Supposedly, he and Ianto had been together since long before they actually were him and Ianto. He wouldn't be able to remember his own previous lives, but what about Ianto's? He could think of a few people from his time on Earth while waiting for the Doctor that he was pretty sure must have been him. Jack liked to take out his mementos from that time and think back to the people who had made him fall in love in spite of himself. It was nice to think that instead of having such a brief time with each of them, each time was really just another phase of a very long and ongoing relationship.

But what about the part of Jack's past that was actually in the future? Did souls have a past and a future, or was time meaningless to them? Was there any sense of progress in all the times they met, or was that not the point? He knew he wouldn't have any answers for a long time, if ever, but it was certainly better than believing that there was nothing after death. Every loss hit him even harder when he believed that the darkness he saw just after dying was all there was. Maybe that's just where you end up when you won't be moving on. Once you get beyond that, maybe you couldn't return to your old body. It was definitely something to think about.

Then Jack wondered how early in his life an incarnation of Ianto had been there. He thought about his best friend and childhood sweetheart. That definitely had to be him. They had been inseparable, even after the invasion. Jack remembered how his love had stuck by him through his guilt and depression over the loss of Gray and even his increasing tendency to be self-destructive.

This boy was the one Jack had convinced to run away with him and join the army. Supposedly it was for the adventure of it, but they both knew that was a lie. Jack wanted to go to find or at least avenge his brother, and there was no way his love would let him go alone. It turned out to be a huge mistake. They were captured by the enemy, and Jack had to watch while his friend was tortured then killed.

So, this pattern of theirs had started early. Jack drags them both into danger, but it's Ianto who gets killed. You would think they both would have learned something by now. _Was_ there something they were supposed to be learning? Was there a point to any of this? Or was it all just an ongoing cycle with no real beginning or end and the details were all chance?

As the years went by, Jack began to notice changes in himself. They were slow to come, but over thousands then millions of years they multiplied. It wasn't just his looks, but his needs and his abilities changed as well. In the end, no one would know he had ever been human. As this process took place, Jack worried that Ianto would stop coming back to him, or that he would start wishing he hadn't. What if Jack couldn't give him what he needed?

Jack worried needlessly, however, for as he changed so did his lover's incarnations. _They_ weren't necessarily human anymore, either. What they needed from Jack also evolved, and their relationship changed along with these needs. No matter what, they would always be well matched. It took a long time for Jack to realize this, but once he did he was at peace with his life.

In the end, Jack was no longer Jack. He had changed so much, not even the Doctor could recognize him. He had also come up with a story to explain who and what he was. He was so old by then that no one would ever be able to check if it was true or not. It took billions of years for him to reach this point, but he could finally sense that his life was coming to an end.

He wasn't alone, however. He knew he would see the Doctor again, even Rose and Martha, but there was only one person who was his constant companion at that point. As he actually became ill for the first time since he had become immortal, it was Novice Hame who tended to him and then became his full-time nurse and companion. It was Hame who he succeeded in protecting from the mutated mood drug that wiped out almost all of New New York. It brought back the memory from so long ago when he hadn't succeeded in protecting the one he loved from a deadly pathogen, but they were both so very different then.

This time they both lived and were able to work together to save at least those they had manage to seal in the Motorway. Hame was the one who helped hook him up so that he could use his life energy to keep the survivors alive until help could arrive. She was the one who brought the Doctor to him so that what strength he had left could be used to free the survivors. And she was with him when he finally, and gratefully, took his last breath.

Now it was his turn to move on. Hame still had many years ahead of her, but time has no meaning when you're dead. He would get to start fresh this time and, in time, they would meet again. They always did.


	4. BFF

**BFF**

The two young children played together in the bright sunshine. As close as they were, a casual observer might assume they were twins, even though they looked nothing alike. They had that special closeness that people tend to associate with twins. In fact, they had known each other since they were born.

Both of their mothers had given birth in the same hospital at about the same time. Both newborns screamed so much once the nurses left them in their mothers' rooms that it was necessary to take them to the nursery just so their poor mothers could get some rest. It didn't take long for the nurses there to realize that the only time they were calm was when they were near each other. In fact, they seemed happiest if they were placed in the same bassinet.

When it came time to return them to their mothers, it was decided it would be best to put the two women in the same room. The bassinets were placed between the two hospital beds. Both babies were finally calm and happy, and they were able to start bonding with their mothers.

There was some concern from everyone involved over what would happen when it was time for mothers and babies to go home. As luck would have it, the two women lived within walking distance from each other. They had become friends while in the hospital and vowed to get together every day so their little ones could be together. Thankfully, the children seemed to understand the arrangement and settled down after a few very rough nights.

From their earliest days, it seemed like it was the two of them against the world. Their first words were to each other. They helped each other through the various milestones, and comforted each other when they were upset. As they got older and spent more time around other children, they began to make other friends. Nothing, however, could ever come between them.

School had proved difficult until the principal and teachers understood that the two children needed to stay together as much as possible. After that, things went pretty smoothly as they helped each other through difficult subjects, made friends as a team, and defended each other from bullies. No one who knew them could imagine one without the other. In fact, it almost seemed as if they were afraid of losing each other, as if something outside themselves might tear them apart at any moment. They lived their lives as if there would never be enough time.

The children's families grew close as a result of their friendship. At first they were concerned about them developing as individuals, but it seemed incredibly cruel and wrong to separate them. As they grew older, the concerns faded away. The two children were nothing alike, but they complemented each other perfectly.

There was still some question as to what would happen when they were teenagers and adults. Would they date other people? Would they get married? Would they each have children of their own some day? But that was their fathers and extended families. Their mothers knew better. Those two were meant for each other, and they had known it as soon as they were born. Whatever higher power there was had decided it would be so. They loved each other deeply and truly, and that would never change.

Some day they would grow up and their thoughts would turn from the innocent love of childhood. They may even, from time to time, have their attention drawn to someone else. Even so, in the end, they would still turn to each other. Anyone else would be nothing but a passing fancy, or someone the two of them loved as one. There is no other way it could be.

They would get married all right, but to each other. It's possible they may even add a third, but that seemed unlikely. It would take someone very special to love both of them as much as they loved each other. They would accept nothing less. Any children they had would belong to both of them, no matter in what way they eventually became parents.

No, their mothers weren't worried, as they watched their young ones at play. They could see the future in their little ones' eyes. They would never be lonely or feel unwanted. They would always have someone to depend on, someone who would always be on their side. Others would come into their lives and be welcomed with open and trusting hearts. How can your heart be broken when the only one that can truly break it will always be at your side?

Their love for each other didn't isolate them. On the contrary, it gave them the strength to welcome any and all who accepted them as they were. They both had a lot of love to give, and not just to each other. They encouraged each other and drew strength from each other. They gave their loyalty, as one, to those who earned it. They would never be alone not just because they had each other, but because of the friendship and loyalty they inspired in others.

Of course, no matter how their lives played out, one day it would come to an end. Everything that lives will someday die. Even then, it seemed as though nothing should be able to take them from each other. Whenever and however it happened, it would either be at the same time or one would soon follow the other. "Until death do us part" is for marriage vows. Their promise to each other ran much deeper. Not even death could keep them apart.


End file.
